In the past week, our social media platforms e.g. Twitter, Instagram, and most importantly, Facebook were swarmed by world icons and celebrities taking on the #ALSIceBucketChallenge to raise awareness and funds for the ALS. While it’s said to be the most successful viral campaign of our time, some have chosen to not do it.
The “Ice Bucket Challenge” was started in July by Pete Frates, 29, a former Boston College baseball player who has been battling ALS since 2011 and it has now become a worldwide craze. It’s actually part of a campaign to raise money in fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks the brain and the spinal cord.
Source: Dulcie Teesateskie/Huntsville Times
One such person who has suffered from the disease for many years now is none other than the world’s most celebrated brilliant physicist, Stephen Hawking.
The campaign requires an individual to dump a bucket of ice water on their head. After which, they’re allowed to challenge 3 more people to do the same within 24 hours. If someone refuses, the penalty is donating USD100 to the ALS Association. The stunt has raised millions for ALS so far!
Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun Fat was nominated twice by his “From Vegas To Macau II” co-star Cheung Ka Fai and Donnie Yen. As much as everyone would like to see the 59-year-old “full of God of Gambler” swag actor take on the challenge, he has declined to do so. Why? Well, he thinks that it’s a waste of precious water. Upon declining the challenge, Chow Yun Fat’s wife responded on his behalf, “He won’t take up the challenge. It’s wasting the drinking water, but we will donate to the cause.”
Source: Imaginechina
Aww shucks.
Chow Yun Fat isn’t the only one though. TVB actor Stephen Au also thinks that the challenge is a wastage of water. He wrote on his Facebook, “Our drinking water doesn’t come easy. Everyone is so happily encouraging each other and cause the water wastage. Please look at the the children from the other side of the globe, who taste clean drinking water for the first time.”
“Triumph in the Skies” star Francis Ng has also declined the challenge. He said, “I will not take up the challenge due to my health and to save water, but I will still donate.” Tony Leung, Yoyo Mung (Ekin Cheng’s wife) and Denise Ho Wan Si also preferred to donate than to splash water onto themselves. Denise even wrote jokingly on her Facebook, “If everyone likes to see me splashing onto something, then I will be glad to perform watering the flowers.”
That having said, while we’re on the topic of water wastage and watering the flowers, here’s one celebrity who has proudly taken on the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” and effectively pleased himself, the ALS Association, as well as people with water wastage worries:
Jason Mraz, you’re doing it right.
Meanwhile, here are some of the best #ALSIceBucketChallenge videos that we’ve seen over the past week:
- The “Heavenly Kings” of the East Andy Lau and Jay Zhou.
- K-Pop idols Super Junior’s Siwon, Donghae, and Eunhyuk.
- The world’s top DJs/producers e.g. Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Nicky Romero, and more.
- Bosses of their league Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates.
- Members of the DC and Marvel Cinematics Universe, because they’re cool like that.
- The “Young & Dangerous” members, together again after 14 years for the challenge.
- Our favourite YouTubers being all cute and charming.
- These Korean celebrities who were also bitten by the ice cold bug.
- Anthony Carbajal, the 26-year-old real-life ALS patient who stole our hearts.
Let’s not forget that whether or not you get called out to take on the challenge, you can also make a donation to the ALS Association here. If you want to do your part, you know where to go.
For more information, visit the ALS Association’s official website.
(Source)